Orchestra of The Swan

Biography —

ABOUT US

Formed in 1995, Orchestra of the Swan is a British chamber orchestra which, under the artistic direction of David Le Page, is passionate about audience inclusivity and blurring the lines between genres, through its adventurous and accessible programming.

The Swan presents over 45 concerts a year – both live and digital with a catalogue of over 20 recordings. We are passionate about new music and has premiered more than 70 new works by composers including Joe Cutler, Tansy Davies, Joe Duddell, Alexander Goehr, Roxanna Panufnik, Joseph Phibbs, Dobrinka Tabakova, Errollyn Wallen, Huw Watkins, John Woolrich and many others.

NEW MUSIC

Their latest album Labyrinths, released November 2021, reinterprets music by Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd), Britten, Trish Clowes, Joy Division, Brian Eno, Maxwell Davies, Nico Muhly, Piazzolla, Purcell, Max Richter & Yann Tiersen. Their prior album Timelapse, audio streamed 3.5 million times since January 2021, creates a space where sounds of the past and present collide to form a unique musical landscape. Although the pieces were written in some cases, centuries apart and in culturally disparate eras, it is striking how much these contrasting works inhabit such similar emotional territory. Intriguing pairings of works by Rameau and Radiohead’s Pyramid Song, Schubert and The Smiths, Adés and Grieg, Satie and Reich, complement each other beautifully, and style becomes irrelevant.

IN THE COMMUNITY

The Swan has been enormously successful in making a positive and effective contribution to the communities at the heart of its ‘immersive residencies’ in Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Birmingham with an ambitious programme of work in care homes, schools and rural areas growing year by year. In Hereford, Stratford and Southam, our new dementia-friendly café, Café Muse, generously funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, the Stratford Town Trust and Warwickshire County Council, is now underway; proof that an orchestra really can be an indispensable and relevant part of the community.